# Gift for my dad



## CigarMonkel (Jan 7, 2008)

Hey guys, well as most of you know how birthday and holiday presents can and will repeat themselves over and over and over again. Like socks or ties for you dad... never a bad idea untill the 100th time! So for his upcoming birthday ( i still got a while but i wanna plan early) He will be turning 70 and i want to get him something very special.

Like most teenages of my generation i was very rebellious, did bad in school had a hard time following directions and grounding my feet onto the ground. He was always there for me like the amazing father he is and now as i am growing more mature i am starting to realize everything he has done in the past 20years to help me be who i am. Some examples... Buying a house knowing that we would be going to the best public high school in the state not to mention a back yard that opens up to my k-5thgrade school's playground. Buying me and my sister a dog when we were little even though he didn't want one. Forcing me to start a mutual fund when i was in the 6th grade with a lot of my paper route money. 

He had a really hard life from being in the Japanese concentration camps in Cali from the ages of 3-5 1/2. his brother being taken to jail, rotting and dying in prison cause his father refused to let him join the army when he was recruited to fight since they were forced into the camps. To living on a tiny farm house working for a farmer to pay rent and eatting pea's and rice for dinner everynight. Managing to pull himself up and together and making it into Stanford where he graduated and now is retired and works as a private consultant and makes mad money :tu. 

So anyways onto the point! He loves to have a drink once and a while on special occasions and i thought... what better occasion then his 70th! He LOVES gin and scotch. If we go somewhere nice he always orders a glass of nice scotch or a martini but i noticed the gin he uses is always cheap stuff and he loves to make his own. So i was thinking what are some REALLY nice scotch's and/or gin's i could pick up for him? and i heard those big glass containers you always see on "CEO's" desks and stuff actually help the aging process and make it more smooth is that true?


----------



## chippewastud79 (Sep 18, 2007)

Wow, happy birthday to your dad. :bl

From what you described I would go with the fancy display glass container engraved with his name (maybe from Things Remembered?) and a nice bottle of scotch. Unless you know exactly what he likes spending $100+ on a bottle may turn into a waste if he hates it. Try a nice Glenmorangie (sp), I am not even a huge fan of scotch but I really like that stuff. :2

Good luck with the hunt :tu


----------



## CigarMonkel (Jan 7, 2008)

Thanks! like i said his birthday isn't for a while but if i can pick up one of those glass container things and start to age it for a good 6ish months or so i know it will make a difference and mean that much more to him!


----------



## massphatness (Jan 4, 2008)

The glass container thingy you're thinking of is a crystal decanter. Amazon should have a decent selection. Otherwise, I'm sure some of the gorillas here will chime in as well.

Good on you for the nice gesture!:tu


----------



## pistol (Mar 23, 2006)

Hey man, just my :2, but I wouldn't put a good scotch into a decanter. The point of the decanter (other than presentation) is to expose the liquor to oxygen; that's great for red wine (for about an hour), but I wouldn't "age" good scotch whiskey. Decanters are great for parties; I put cheaper booze in them, but I never put any good whiskies in them. If you buy him a nice bottle, it's been aged plenty and will be ready to drink-trust me on that one! By putting the good Scotch into the decanter for 6 months you run the risk of ruining the subtleties of the whisky by exposing it to oxygen for such a long time. Either way, a very nice bottle of Scotch can be had for around $100 no problem. Although Glenmorangie is good, the ten year vintages are ordinary bottles of Scotch imho (I have several bottles, but I wouldn't gift one to my dad), and there are better 18 year old vintages for the price than the Glenmorangie 18. I'd recommend going with a bottle of Talisker 18, Macallan Fine Oak 17, or even a bottle of Macallan 18 (a little more expensive, but a helluva birthday gift!). Again, that's just my humble :2! Good luck, and you're Dad is going to dig this birthday!


----------



## croatan (Mar 23, 2005)

pistol said:


> Hey man, just my :2, but I wouldn't put a good scotch into a decanter. The point of the decanter (other than presentation) is to expose the liquor to oxygen; that's great for red wine (for about an hour), but I wouldn't "age" good scotch whiskey. Decanters are great for parties; I put cheaper booze in them, but I never put any good whiskies in them. If you buy him a nice bottle, it's been aged plenty and will be ready to drink-trust me on that one! By putting the good Scotch into the decanter for 6 months you run the risk of ruining the subtleties of the whisky by exposing it to oxygen for such a long time. Either way, a very nice bottle of Scotch can be had for around $100 no problem. Although Glenmorangie is good, the ten year vintages are ordinary bottles of Scotch imho (I have several bottles, but I wouldn't gift one to my dad), and there are better 18 year old vintages for the price than the Glenmorangie 18. I'd recommend going with a bottle of Talisker 18, Macallan Fine Oak 17, or even a bottle of Macallan 18 (a little more expensive, but a helluva birthday gift!). Again, that's just my humble :2! Good luck, and you're Dad is going to dig this birthday!


Yup. Scotch ages in the barrel, not the bottle. You only put it in decanters for presentation. I love decanters, by the way, have about twelve of them, including one in my office (I'm no CEO, though ). But you don't want to leave liquor in them for very long. They're also typically made from leaded crystal, which can seep into the booze. Not a good thing. Anyway, they make great gifts, but definitely don't pour the scotch into one before giving it to your dad.

And I think that Macallan 18 would be an excellent choice. Not cheap, but not ultra-expensive. Incredibly smooth and will appeal to a broad base of scotch drinkers. If you tell us what he tends to order when you go out, we might be able to help you tailor a bottle to his tastes, as well.

Edit: As far as decanters go, if you want to spend some money, Waterford makes some beautiful ones. If you're on a budget, try Tuesday Morning (if they have those where you live). You can find some pretty good-looking decanters there that are very inexpensive.


----------



## str8edg (Dec 30, 2007)

I have nothing to contribute as I don't know scotch at all... I just wanted to chime in a say good on ya for doing something nice for you dad on his big day. I am sure he will love it!


----------



## RETSF (Dec 7, 2006)

Of course I like a variety of spirits, so I have often thought about one of the dispencers on a rack. I'm not sure if its the same thing as a few posts indicated. But it holds a number of bottles and dispenses an ounce when a glass is pushed up to the dispenser.


----------



## CigarMonkel (Jan 7, 2008)

Well my dad isn't really a HUGE drinker more just on special occasions. So in total i would call him a newb... (SORRY DAD!:r) he doesn't know how to do forums so nothing to worry about guys! Anyways... like i said he only orders a glass of scotch on special occasions and such. It's ALWAYS at one of the more fancy places around town when he does though. I will ask him though cause he will have no idea i'm planning on getting him a good bottle for his birthday. it's the last thing he would expect from me!! Thanks for the help guys you are gonna make my dad one REALLY happy man!


----------



## CigarMonkel (Jan 7, 2008)

UPDATE! i just asked him (played the dumb game.. uhh.. whats the difference between scotch and scotch-whiskey?):r ok no actually i wasn't playing i was serious. BUT anyways he said he really loves J&B? J&M shit i already forgot and che-ves r...something reegal? reagal? i should just google it and get correct spelling instead of trying to spell out loud lol anyways theres what he likes lets go from there! thanks again for all the help guys!


----------



## pistol (Mar 23, 2006)

CigarMonkel said:


> UPDATE! i just asked him (played the dumb game.. uhh.. whats the difference between scotch and scotch-whiskey?):r ok no actually i wasn't playing i was serious. BUT anyways he said he really loves J&B? J&M shit i already forgot and che-ves r...something reegal? reagal? i should just google it and get correct spelling instead of trying to spell out loud lol anyways theres what he likes lets go from there! thanks again for all the help guys!


"Scotch" is just shorthand for scotch whiskey... Scotch whiskey is simply whiskey from Scotland, so there you go! Generally, scotch is classified as either single malt whiskey or blended whiskey (there are others, but those two are the most common). Single malt whiskey is further broken down according to the region in Scotland in which it was distilled (there are 4 traditional regions). So there is your quick down and dirty! James please correct me if I misspoke. Chivas Regal is a fairly common blended scotch that you can find just about anywhere. Do your dad a favor and blow his mind with a Macallan 18 year. I promise you won't regret it, in fact, if he doesn't like it, let me know and I'll buy whatever's left of the bottle for the price you paid for it new.


----------



## SmokeyJoe (Oct 3, 2006)

Definitely go with a Single Malt... those mentioned are very good. I also enjoy the Glenlivet 18 year... or you can buy the Glenlivet 15 year for a little less... but still very tasty. My :2.

Nice gesture, by the way. I know he will appreciate it and be blown away by your thoughtfulness. :ss


----------



## CigarMonkel (Jan 7, 2008)

awesome! thanks a lot guys! i can't wait to see my dads face when he opens it! i'll make sure to take some pics and post them when he opens it! he said one of his really good buddies got him a gallon of some sort of scotch and he said it was awesome and he loved it. So hopefully this will rise up and take that hands down!


----------



## pistol (Mar 23, 2006)

CigarMonkel said:


> awesome! thanks a lot guys! i can't wait to see my dads face when he opens it! i'll make sure to take some pics and post them when he opens it! he said one of his really good buddies got him a gallon of some sort of scotch and he said it was awesome and he loved it. So hopefully this will rise up and take that hands down!


Dude, you will curb stomp that gallon; you'll be a hero!:tu


----------



## Jbailey (Nov 9, 2006)

Ideas or Gin - Magellan Gin

As for Scotch I have tried a lot, so far my favorite as been Jura.
When is your dads birthday? There are a few regulars at the shop that love scotch and when I get back I would love to ask their input.


----------



## Che (Dec 4, 2003)

Sounds to me like he appreciates blends. Royal Salute might also be a viable snag for your pops. For gin you might consider Cadenhead's "Old Raj".


----------

